GOT A NEW "DO"

I took a chance and called my beautician to see if she had an opening for me today to get haircut and highlight. It just so happened she did. I drove on over to the Clip Joint and checked in. There was music playing softly in the background, not elevator music really, but a nice ambient feel. The chairs in the waiting area are very modern style and oh so comfortable. There was only one other person in the waiting area-- an older man waiting with a woman's purse. Of course I didn't assume the purse was his, but that he was guarding it for his wife while she got her hair done. Sure enough, a few minutes later, here she came, with her little coiffure holding herself like a proud little peacock.

Before long, Candace, my "hair girl" came around the counter and greeted me. Together we walked back to her work station and the process began. We chit chatted about this that and the other. Simultaneously, Candace carefully and strategically placed the highlight "goo" and foil wraps in the right places so the lighter hair would blend and look more natural. That isn't too difficult a task for someone working on my hair as it is already about 45 different shades of blonde, red, and gray.

Then it was off to the hair dryer to heat the "goo" and let the color do its thing. I knew it was going to take about 15 minutes or so under the dryer so I picked up an unfamiliar magazine and started to fan through the pages. There were some really bizarre looking models in that magazine. I realized it was a fashion magazine, but gee whiz, those gals looked more like someone returning from a halloween party or their own funeral, it could have been either. Being a little bored by the whole thing, well all right, a little spooked, I put the "zine" down and just sat with my eyes closed.

As Candace finished shampooing and conditioning my hair, she wrapped me in a little towel and back to her station we marched, ready for the cutting phase. She had made the assumption I wanted the usual trim and confirmed that with "just a trim?" I told her I had recently lost a significant amount of hair on the front sides (stress related in my opinion) and that I thought it would look fuller and healthier if it were noticeably shorter. We then embarked on a length quest employing several different modes of measurement from "inches off" to hands on the neck where the hair should stop. My final decision was a chin length style after the hair is dry. Since I have curls, the hair would actually be cut longer to allow for "curling up."

Snip snip snip. Off came long strands of hair. There they were, lying, lifeless all around me. It felt good. I knew that hair lying on the floor was dry, unhealthy and ready to bite the dust. Candace ran a bit of gel through what was left on my head and tossled it around while she dried it with the hand dryer. Then, within just a few minutes, it was done. Candace handed me a hand mirror and spun me around so I could look at the finished product. I loved it. It was just like I wanted it. It looked fuller, healthier, and it felt great.

Candace walked with me to the check out counter and we wished each other a Happy Thanksgiving as I gave my debit card (my new credit card isn't here yet, after it got hijacked again) to the "chique" little receptionist. I got my stuff all gathered and put back in my purse and started off to leave the salon, like a proud little peacock.